Hillfield Strathallan College

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Hillfield Strathallan College
Hillfield Strathallan College
Motto Vella Est Posse and Excelsior [1]
Established 1901
Type Private Independent (Co-ed)
Students 1450
Grades J-K to 12
Location Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Mascot The Trojan
Website www.hillstrath.on.ca

Hillfield Strathallan College is a Canadian private, co-educational school in Hamilton, Ontario. The academic program runs from Junior Kindergarten or Montessori, until Grade 12. The current headmaster is Dr. Tom Mathews, and their Educational Director is Brenda Zwolak.

Contents

[edit] History

Founded in 1901 as Highfield School for Boys, this school was the first private residential and day school for boys in the city of Hamilton. It was a prep school for boys planning to enter the Royal Military College of Canada. Many graduates played key roles in the Canadian military. A series of name changes, reconstructions, new construction, and amalgamations with other institutions have since occurred, resulting in a single modern co-educational facility. Strathallan College was a school for girls very nearby. Eventually, the two schools merged and began a co-education program. Alumni from all founding organizations attended the centennial celebration in 2001.

[edit] Timeline

  • 1901 - Highfield School for Boys founded.
  • 1920 - Hillcrest School was founded, as a replacement for the previous school that burned down two years prior.
  • 1923 - Strathallan School founded.
  • 1929 - Hillcrest School and Highfield School were merged into Hillfield School, with new premise on Main Street West in Hamilton.
  • 1959 - The Hillfield School program was extended through Grade 13 and the school was renamed Hillfield College.
  • 1961 - Strathallan School was renamed Strathallan College.
  • 1962 - The two colleges, now named Hillfield-Strathallan Colleges, were put under a single Board of Governors, which ran the colleges in co-ordinated but separate manner during a transition period. The current site of the college was acquired, a fifty acre campus on Fennell Avenue West on the Hamilton Mountain.
  • 1963 - The schools operated as co-ordinate schools with a headmaster and headmistress.
  • 1970's - The administrations consolidated and first the Primary, then the Senior and finally the Junior schools came together and co-educated. The 'New' Gym, now the Michael G. DeGroote Gym, was built and the Junior School extended.
  • 1980's/90's - Major additions to the campus, included the Library, new science labs, the Early Education Gym, the ARC, a new Montessori school (early education), state of the art music and art facilities and a brand new auditorium, the "Artsplex". The academic program was redesigned to reflect modern practice.
  • 1994 - The bubbling rock is turned on in the redesigned Ketchum Forecourt for the first time.
  • 2001 - The College celebrated its centennial year, after 100 years of education in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
  • 2004 - The school spent just over $2 Million Canadian on a major Gateway and Entrance renovation, called the "Centennial Gateway" that took nearly 8 months to complete.
  • 2005 - Hillfield Strathallan College acquires its own official coat of arms and a new HSC crest and flag, all unveiled for the first time by the Honourable Lincoln M. Alexander, former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.
  • 2008- Daniel West rescued a small child from a pack of rabid wolves

[edit] Mission Statement

Here Exellance is a Way of Life

[edit] The College's Buildings

Image:Artsplex Exterior.JPG
The Exterior of the state of the art auditorium, the Artsplex, which also displays the school's name.

The buildings have all been named after staff or benefactors who contributed to the development of the College.

[edit] Building Names

  • Page Building - The central administrative building at the College.
  • Lawson Hall (The Hon. Ray Lawson) - The College's dining hall.
  • Holton Building - The school's administration building, home to the main office, and the office of the Headmaster.
  • Wansbrough Building - The ARC - College's libraries, Swap Centre, campus store, Rotunda, IT department and design classrooms.
  • Artsplex - A new building that houses the 450-seat, state-of-the-art theatre and the music facilities, including many practice studios (built in the '80's and upgraded in 1999).
  • DeGroote Gymnasium - The newest school gymnasium, built by the generosity of Michael G. DeGroote, a very significant benefactor of the College.
  • Strathallan Building - Known as "Strath", this houses The Senior School, and is home to Student Services and the Common Room.
  • Young Building - Also used by the Senior School, this building houses the senior science labs and other classrooms.
  • Heaven Building
  • Collinson Building - Another Junior School Building.
  • The Portable - The Advancement & Alumni offices, as well as the board room.
  • Montessori Building - The most recently constructed building with classrooms (1999), it is the home to students in early education. Students in grades J-K to 4 either attend the Montessori or Primary schools.
  • Killip Building - Home to the Primary school.
  • Ketchum court- A small area out front of Lawson Hall.
  • Transportation Building - A new building that opened in September 2006 to house transportation staff offices.

[edit] The House System

For generations, the HSC House system has provided a forum for friendly sporting competition, charitable work, and spirit-building. Every student and faculty member is a member of a house. The House system gives students a sense of belonging to a small cross-grade group within the school community and promotes school spirit.

Houses are familial tradition, so if the child of an Old Boy or Old Girl attends Hillfield Strathallan College, that child will be placed in the same house as their parent. However, if both parents attended the College, children will be placed in the house of their father. House loyalty is very strong, and lives on through competitions for Old Boys and Old Girls at annual Homecoming celebrations.

Here are the brother/sister houses and the corresponding house colours:

  • Pine/Yre - Yellow
  • Maple/Tay - Orange
  • Birch/Earn - Red
  • Cedar/More - Blue

The Brother Houses are named after trees and their Sister Houses take their names from rivers in Scotland. Students wear house ties that combine their house colours with the traditional Hillfield green. Students hold weekly House Meetings, and participate in house competitions throughout the year such as games days. As well some houses fundraise for various charities by hosting bake sales and grub days. Upper-year students are chosen as House Captains in a vote of the entire house, and senior faculty members are appointed as House Masters or House Mistresses. In the dining hall, students eat lunch with their houses, with a House Master/Mistress at the head of each table.

[edit] Theatre

Hillfield Strathallan College has been known for its excellent dramatic productions and musicals. Plays are performed in the fall term, and musicals take place in the spring. All theatrical performances take place in the College's 450-seat auditorium, "The Artsplex."

The Artsplex is also the venue for the acclaimed Crescendo Concert Series, which promotes Canadian talent through the presentation of outstanding vocal and instrumental performances to audiences in the Hamilton area.

[edit] Notable Alumni

[edit] Old Head Girls & Head Boys

  • Class of 1989 - Serena Lowartz & Rob Alexander
  • Class of 1995 - Sarah Kim & Mohammed Panju
  • Class of 1996 - Allison Newlands & Beau Rommand
  • Class of 1997 - Gita Wahi & Ian McDougall
  • Class of 1998 - Megan Ogilvy & Andrew Parry
  • Class of 1999 - Lindsay Walker & Jim Zwolak
  • Class of 2000 - Stacey Deniz & Jesse Campling
  • Class of 2001 - Claire Vayalumkal & Daniel Coutts
  • Class of 2002 - Jennifer Hirano & Peter Horrobin
  • Class of 2003 - Leigh Gabel & Liam Stockdale
  • Class of 2004 - Shelley Kraus & Scott Metherell
  • Class of 2005 - Andrea Cross & Chris Lachowski
  • Class of 2006 - Shilpa Jain & Bradley Morris
  • Class of 2007 - Erica Otaguro & Brian McKenna
  • Class of 2008 - Shireen Yusuf & Geoffrey Line

[edit] Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra

The Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (HPYO) recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, still operating under the baton of the orchestra's founder, the formidable Dr. Glen Allan Mallory, who has since retired. The HPYO is the "Orchestra in Residence" at Hillfield[1]. Approximately 55 young musician aged 9 to 22 are a part of the orchestra. For a number of years, this fine orchestra has used Hillfield Strathallan College's state-of-the-art music facilities to conduct their rehearsals and also frequently as a venue for their concerts. Under Dr. Mallory's inspired guidance, The Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra has changed the lives of hundreds of young musicians and has performed in many cities, including Carnegie Hall in New York City, Rome, Ottawa, Montreal, Banff, Alabama & Northampton, England.[2]

[edit] References

 This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2008)
  1. ^ Gageworth, Cresswell: Hillfield Strathallan College: The First Hundred Years pp. 12, 23

[edit] External links